1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for cutting a belt-shaped member substantially transversely by using a rectilinear lower blade and a disk-shaped cutter.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a conventional method and apparatus for cutting a belt-shaped member, those which are disclosed in, for instance, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 135108/1985 are known. The apparatus disclosed therein includes a rectilinear lower blade disposed immediately below a belt-shaped member and extending in the transverse direction of the belt-shaped member; a freely rotatable disk-shaped upper blade, or cutter, which is inclined at a very small angle with respect to the lower blade in such a manner that the side of the upper blade on the other side of the lower blade is located closer to the lower blade, a portion of the upper blade being adapted to come into contact with the lower blade; a moving mechanism for cutting the belt-shaped member by means of the lower blade and the upper blade as the upper blade is moved along the lower blade from one end to the other end of the lower blade; a first cylinder for raising the upper blade after completion of cutting; a holding pawl disposed immediately above the belt-shaped member and extending along the lower blade; a holding mechanism for restricting the movement of the belt-shaped member during cutting by moving the holding pawl to press the belt-shaped member against the lower blade; a comb-shaped releasing pawl which is disposed immediately below the belt-shaped member in the vicinity of a cutting position, extends in parallel with the lower blade, and is capable of swinging vertically about a swinging shaft parallel with the lower blade; and a second cylinder for releasing the belt-shaped member adhering to the lower blade from the lower blade by upwardly pushing the belt-shaped member in the vicinity of the cutting position by upwardly swinging the releasing pawl about the swinging shaft when the holding pawl is disengaged from the belt-shaped member immediately after cutting. Accordingly, when the cutting of the belt-shaped member is completed, the releasing pawl is swung to release the belt-shaped member in the vicinity of the cutting position from the lower blade, and the upper blade is raised. Then, the belt-shaped member is fed by a predetermined length, and during this feeding, after the upper blade is moved by the moving mechanism from the other side to one side, the upper blade is lowered by the first cylinder so as to return the upper blade to its initial position.
However, with such a conventional method and apparatus for cutting a belt-shaped member, since the direction in which the upper blade is inclined with respect to the lower blade is unchangeable, the belt-shaped member can be cut only during the advancing movement (movement from one side to the other side) of the upper blade. As a result, after the cutting of the belt-shaped member, the operations of raising the upper blade and returning the upper blade from the other side to one side are required, so that there has been a drawback in that the operational efficiency is low.
In addition, with the conventional apparatus for cutting a belt-shaped member, since the belt-shaped member in the vicinity of the cutting position is pushed upward by upwardly swinging the releasing pawl so as to release the belt-shaped member adhering to the lower blade from the lower blade, the portion of the belt-shaped member located in the vicinity of the cutting position is deformed in a convex shape and is elongated during releasing. Consequently, there has been a drawback in that the quality of the cut belt-shaped member declines.